


3, 2, 1 Go

by charmandu



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Carpool AU, First Meeting, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 09:32:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17743361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmandu/pseuds/charmandu
Summary: Kang Daniel has to ride a car with a new acquaintance he met through a common friend. The traffic jam is a witness to their first meeting.





	3, 2, 1 Go

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Haemochim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haemochim/gifts).



> Hello! It's my first time to write for OngNiel and I am not really sure if I've given justice to how beautiful they are as individuals and as a pair. I don't read a lot of OngNiel too but it's probably time that I do. 
> 
> To Ate Tine: I know this is far from the prompt you and Ate Anj have thought of but I hope you could find it in your heart to like this one even if it's not that good. I made it with the both of you in mind. :)

Jihoon’s text to him flashes in his mind for the whole day. This made him irate and a little bit unfocused during his classes and his mind seems to _float_.

_You’ll be carpooling with Ong Seongwoo later. I’ll send you his contact details an hour before you meet him._

This _Ong Seongwoo_ person, he doesn’t know.

What he knows, however, is that he’s awkward with anyone he hasn’t met before and his hands sweat at the mere idea of being stuck in traffic for maybe one or two hours with a man he barely knows. He could probably start and last for 5 minutes in a small talk but beyond that, he’ll probably combust and turn to ash.

Dramatics aside, he’s just not comfortable around new people, especially if the _common friend_ is not around to balance the tension out.

It’s not that he’s shy or _an introvert_ because believe him, he’s not. He could be really loud and he’d definitely say hi to you first when he sees you around but only if and when he’s already warmed up to you.

It’s just first meetings are hard for him and it takes a while before he could actually warm up to people. A lot of times, alcohol helps and it’s probably why he’s still good friends with Jihoon.

Daniel receives another text from him and the message contains Ong Seongwoo’s contact details. He’s sent it earlier than he promised and since it’s lunch time, what better way to spite himself more (of his impending doom) than checking social media for this particular person he’s so nervous to meet.

He checks Instagram because Facebook is too mainstream. Daniel wants to see this person in the most curated way possible. Instagram contains everything a person is proud of, making it the perfect platform to prejudge.

The person’s username is osw_onge and Daniel tilts his head before munching on his burger again, a little amused of the boy’s feed. It contains 70% selfies and 30% travel photos and if Daniel would summarize his _observations_ in the six minutes he spent on his feed--it is that Ong Seongwoo knows his face value and he’s not afraid to stick out. He is a foreground and he likes to stay that way.

Daniel gets more anxious about this because he knows he is better off in the background. _Ugh._ If only he could pay for his own Uber then he probably wouldn’t be in this distress.

He sips on his soda and wishes that he’s wrong on his impressions. (He is, mostly, and he should just really give up on judging people based on their social media. It’s too immature of him.)

At 5:00 PM, he was casually walking on his way to his dorm when his phone buzzes again. It’s Jihoon.

_Danielllllllie, you’ll be riding with Woojin’s friends too. They’re names are Jaehwan and Minhyun. They’ll be in the Centennial Dorm parking lot by 5:30PM._

Daniel curses in his mind for two reasons: 1) He doesn’t have a time for a proper shower and 2) He has two other people to meet and he’s getting more anxious because he doesn’t have primary knowledge about them. This habit of him, it’s probably a defense mechanism already.

He’s walking up the stairs when his phone automatically connected to the dorm Wi-Fi. He immediately opens Instagram to search “Jaehwan” in a long shot to gauge his carpool buddies later. He finds the account immediately because Woojin follows him.

Jaehwan’s page is simple. It’s all photos of him with food. Jaehwan with mandu, Jaehwan with tofu, Jaehwan with lettuce, and Jaehwan with a thin boy (who, if he confirms, could be _food_ to Jaehwan too).

Daniel taps on the photo once to see if the boy is tagged. He stops in his tracks when user _optimushwang_ turns out to be Minhyun. _Bingo._

Daniel feels like a successful little detective as he scans through his content. It _almost_ always contains Jaehwan and most of it are stolen shots of him in restaurants, in campus, and some places they probably go to for dates. Daniel actually finds this sweet and it didn’t take him a while to connect the dots. _They’re a couple._

Daniel plugs his phone on to charge it as soon as he arrives at his room. Five of his roommates are away and he breathes in the smell of summer before heading for a quick shower. He chooses to wear a dark blue polo, paired with black denim pants. He folds the ends because it’s too long (it was a hand-me-down), grateful that it looked cool enough for a party.

Daniel takes his wallet and his keys from his backpack and unplugs his phone. It’s 5:27 PM and he hurries down as he doesn’t want to leave an impression that he’s late or something.

A black Camry pulls over on the parking lot and Daniel would’ve been clueless that it is indeed Ong Seongwoo if he didn’t check online.

Ong Seongwoo rolls the window down and smiles at him. “Sit beside me, the love birds are occupying the back.”

Daniel just couldn’t tear his eyes away from him. He looks unbelievably handsome in this angle, arms folded and perched on the window. He looks like Cinderella’s Prince Charming but in 3D, breathing and alive.

Daniel’s hands sweat and it’s worse than the anxiety this morning. It’s actually the worst sweating he’s experienced and he couldn’t wait for the floor to swallow him whole. Daniel prays that Ong Seongwoo wouldn’t ask for a handshake because he just _cannot_.

Jaehwan alights from the car and opens the door before Daniel was able to. He thanks the man and he actually felt relief because the action made Jaehwan approachable, a stark contrast to what he’s concluded when he was studying his feed.

He enters the car and breathed louder than he intended to. “Uhh, hello. I’m Kang Daniel.”

Ong Seongwoo waves and Daniel supplies in his brain _Hello, I’m Ong Seongwoo_ but he didn’t say anything and proceeded to look at the two behind them, signaling their turn to introduce themselves.

“I’m Hwang Minhyun, uhh. Interior Design.”

“Hello Kang Daniel-ssi! I’m Jaehwan Kim, third year from Archi.” Jaehwan says in his best attempt to speak in English. He knows he’s trying to be funny and he actually appreciates it because it somehow breaks the ice. This is the time when Daniel decides that Jaehwan would, could probably be a good friend because he senses that they’ll click, given the chance to chat.

Daniel bows again to say “Nice to meet you all.”

“Daniel, please buckle up.” Ong Seongwoo says while driving out of the parking lot.

“Uhhh, sorry.” Daniel says, stealing a glance to the driver. “Hmm, aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”

“Do I have to? You know about me already.”

Daniel tilts his head in confusion (it’s a habit). “Hmm?”

Ong Seongwoo looks at him for a split second. “Daniel, you double tapped my first IG post.”

Blood rushed in his cheeks in humiliation. “Oh my god, I’m sorry! Did I?”

“No, but now I’ve confirmed that you lurked around,” Daniel looks down to hide his grin and his embarrassment, perhaps. “You can call me Seongwoo, or Ong. Whatever’s comfortable to your tongue.”

Daniel can’t put a finger on the situation. He doesn’t know if his worries about being awkward in the car ride to the party are now flushed on the toilet or that the anxiety would actually be amplified because good job Kang Daniel, messing up the one and only thing that matters--the first impression.

The car has grown quiet save for the whispers behind them. Daniel looked at the rearview mirror to find Ong Seongwoo-no-just Ong-no-just Seongwoo-no Ong Seongwoo looking at the mirror too, eyebrows a little knotted while looking at the two behind them. Daniel focuses on the road, thinking it’s not his place to hear what the others are talking about.

“I’m just saying that you should’ve told me earlier so I could--you know what. Forget it.” And Jaehwan sighs, not the type of sigh that would end a relationship but the one that assures the other that _we’ll get through this._ “We’ll discuss this after the party. We don’t want to ruin the mood.”

“I’m sorry babe.” Daniel sees that Minhyun leans his chin on Jaehwan’s shoulder, big as he is, he actually looked small due to how apologetic he looks. “I’ll go to the center tomorrow. I think I can charm the photocopier to rush the book binding.” Minhyun looks up to Jaehwan to find some assurance.

Daniel almost felt relief that they’re just fighting about something small. He doesn’t like couples who display too much affection in front of other people but Daniel can’t help himself from feeling all sorts of _soft_ and _fluffy_ since he saw Minhyun’s feed. That’s when he saw Jaehwan kiss Minhyun on the forehead before promising that, “Yeah, you’ll charm them for sure. I know it. And then we’ll pass the thing together, okay?”

“Hmmm, yeah.”

Daniel swears he fought the smirk but it still manages to reach his lips so he avoids Ong Seongwoo’s view and faces the window.

“Daniel,” Ong Seongwoo calls his attention. “I can still see you, you know.”

Daniel almost blanks out. How could Ong Seongwoo take over him so easily? “Uhh, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I was just teasing. Do you want to listen to the radio?” Ong Seongwoo whispers, keeping the atmosphere intimate, maybe not for him and Daniel but for the two in the backseat.

“Sure.” Daniel says shyly, hand already touching his nape.

“You can choose which station you like. It’s on low volume, it’s okay.” Daniel glances at Ong Seongwoo and he’s smiling at him, encouraging and comforting, as if he knows he’s been feeling anxious since before he had gotten inside the car. Daniel appreciates it: the feeling the other emits is something he could only call _genuine_ and Daniel is not in the position to invalidate it because truly, it’s a great help for him.

Daniel leans slowly in front, point finger wondering over the car’s console. He hasn’t been given this much liberty inside the car so he doesn’t really know where the button could be.

Ong Seongwoo takes his hand, fully enveloping his while he breathes, “You press here, silly.” Daniel looks at him and he’s still smiling, still _shining_ despite the red lights that shower him from the traffic jam.

Daniel lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. I Will Follow You Into the Dark plays on the radio and it takes him two more seconds to absorb what happened--Ong Seongwoo held his hand and it was cold, a little sweaty too, but all of it didn’t matter because it felt like his hand fits perfectly under Ong Seongwoo’s hold.

Daniel thinks, _perhaps, he feels awkward and anxious too?_

After a little while and a few stops more, Ong Seongwoo starts what Daniel dreads the most--the small talk. “What year are you in, Daniel?”

The way Ong Seongwoo say his name, it’s--it’s not like an insult but it’s somewhere between “I know what you did” and “I accept it” though he knows for sure that he doesn’t know anything about him. Maybe Ong Seongwoo just has that effect. “I’m in my third, uhh, Physics.”

“Oh, really? Not far from our building then.”

“Hmmm?”

“Triple E, Fourth year.”

“Oh, cool. But uhh, I don’t know a lot of people from Engineering.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Jaehwan’s a third year too so you probably have the same student number.”

Both of them look at the rearview mirror to find the two sleeping soundly, Minhyun’s hands are holding the other’s while Jaehwan’s other hand lies on Minhyun’s head, like he’s protecting him from his fears.

Ong Seongwoo looks at Daniel through the mirror before joking, “What if I press the horn just to wake them up and tease them for making me look like an Uber driver.” Daniel laughs at this. He then made the wrong decision of looking at Ong Seongwoo through the mirror once again and he sees, _he sees_ that look that would’ve made him puke if the old Daniel is here; but he isn't. So instead of puking, Daniel blushes. Daniel blushes ten shades of red because he knows that look and he saw it almost an hour ago when Minhyun was looking at Jaehwan and vice versa.

Ong Seongwoo looks fond. What’s bad about it is not how he’s looking so enamoured _by Daniel._ It’s how Ong Seongwoo looks enthralled by him yet Daniel doesn’t protest. In fact, he likes how it feels and if he’s going to be really honest with himself--he would like to bask in it, for long, as long as time will allow.

Daniel clears his throat to disrupt his train of thought. God, Daniel doesn’t do feelings. He knows he shouldn’t do feelings but with Ong Seongwoo, it feels like it wouldn’t even hurt to try.

He hates it, for most parts.

“Uhh, how--” Daniel clears his throat again because apparently, his voice ran away somewhere. “How did you meet Jihoon?”

Ong Seongwoo looks like he felt the sudden attempt to change the subject. He lets out a laugh before answering, “Hmm, Jihoon? I actually know Max. He invited me to the party.”

A loud giggle escapes Daniel’s lips and he’s suddenly so aware that his hands are starting to sweat again. The two at the back may have been woken up by the sudden sound and Daniel apologizes, asking them to go back to sleep. It’s almost finals week after all and they might be lacking some Zzz’s.

Daniel whispers, or at least tried to whisper, “Are you telling me Jihoon’s dog invited you for his birthday?”

“Yeah, we are pretty close. He’s done me a lot of favors like fetch, play dead, and twirl. Oh, and my favorite is ‘bite Woojin.’” Daniel almost loses it. He’s holding onto his seatbelt to prevent himself from going overboard and laughing to much.

“Sure, sure. I believe you.” Daniel finally says.

“How about you, how did you know Jihoon?” Ong Seongwoo asks him.

Daniel adjusts in his seat, he’s glad that he’s feeling more comfortable now. “Oh, we are childhood friends.”

“Oh. You’re from Busan, too?”  Ong Seongwoo checks the left side mirror for incoming cars before changing lanes.

Daniel nods. “Yeah.”

“The accent doesn’t show.” Ong Seongwoo smirks, eyes still focused on the road.

“I try.” Daniel blushes again and this time, he knows Ong Seongwoo wouldn’t see because the red light in front of him is very, very bright. He almost hums in glee.

The car is quiet again when they entered the gate of Jihoon’s private subdivision. “We’re almost there.” Ong Seongwoo announces. “Go wake them up, Daniel.”

Daniel looks at the back to see the couple, still asleep. Their position doesn’t look comfortable but who needs comfortable when you’re leaning on someone you--Daniel kills the thought, cringing about the idea of what he was about to conclude.

He looks at Ong Seongwoo again as he asks for affirmation if he should wake Jaehwan and Minhyun up. Ong Seongwoo winks at him and Daniel’s stomach flips, he even stutters when calling out the two. “J-jaehwannie, Minhyunnie, we’re here.”

Ong Seongwoo teases him with his terms of endearment. “I can sense that you’d be good friends with him and that you won’t stop calling them that.”

Daniel rebutts instantly as he gains back his composure. “How could I not? They look so cute.” Daniel regrets it as soon as the words leave his mouth. He shouldn’t be vulnerable in front of Ong Seongwoo because he might perceive differently. And by _differently_ he means the boy could see it as reception of his _fond_ look earlier and Daniel can’t gamble because it’s too risky, too uncalculated, and too _not Daniel._

His palms are sweating again.

Minhyun breaks the silence in the car as it halts slowly in front of Jihoon’s house. “I’m sorry we fell asleep, it’s uhh. It’s hell week and we don’t get a lot of rest time.”

Ong Seongwoo looks at the back to assure them that it’s okay and that both him and Daniel understand. Ong Seongwoo taking the liberty to take their names and say it as a collective did things to Daniel. He really couldn’t believe it because it hasn’t even been a day since they met.

Jihoon welcomes them in the living room. This actually means ruffling Daniel’s hair even if he could barely reach it. It was an inside joke for them, since Jihoon was taller when they were kids. “Ong Seongwoo is still parking the car.”

“Woojin is in the kitchen, find him there. Oh, the food is in there too.” Jihoon instructs Jaehwan and Minhyun while Jihoon grabs Daniel’s wrist to pull him aside.

“Were you okay during the trip? I know how you get anxious around new people.”

“Hmm, I was okay. But god, who would’ve thought that 2 hours could be that long.” Daniel pouts at him.

“Wasn’t it even a little bit of fun? Seongwoo and the two are good people. I was hoping you could befriend them or they could befriend you or whatever.”

“Yeah, they’re nice. The two just slept on the way here. Ong Seongwoo and I talked in between stop lights. He seems nice.”

“Hmm, he’s handsome too.” Jihoon tries to lead him on.

“Yeah, he is.” Jihoon looks at him and Daniel just knows what he means. Daniel is quick to retract his statement, if ever it came across the wrong way. “No, not in that way. Like, in a conventional way.”

“Fine. Okay, I’ll go around. Feed yourself, and tell me if you feel anxious or left out, okay?” Daniel nods to him. Sometimes he couldn’t really tell if he’s the hyung or Jihoon is. “Oh, and greet Max. He’s been waiting for you.” Daniel smiles at this.

He walks to where he knows Max’s playpen is and it was just the right time when Ong Seongwoo walks in. “Hey, where are you heading to?”

“To greet Max.”

“Oh, I’ll come with you.” Ong Seongwoo walks beside him and it’s already too much.

They found Max chewing on a Dentastix and he just couldn’t be bothered. “Happy birthday, Max!” Both of them say at the same time. They look at each other, surprised, before laughing about what happened.

Max lets go of what he was chewing and goes towards Ong Seongwoo. After whispering ‘hey buddy’ to Max, he looks at Daniel smirking, “Told you we are close.”

Daniel pushes Ong Seongwoo playfully and says, “Stop it.”

Both of them get food to munch on after playing with Max for a little while. There are not much guests--some familiar faces are around, so they separate ways for a while to talk to other people. Bottles of beers are carefully placed on coasters while some choose to hold on to their drinks.

It’s almost midnight when Daniel sees Ong Seongwoo again. He is in the other side of the room, talking to Sungwoon-hyung, one of the few persons he knows in the College of Engineering. Daniel puts his beer on the table beside him, just in time when Ong Seongwoo looks back, locking their eyes.

This is when it hits him--that despite his early judgment of Ong Seongwoo based on his Instagram account--he’s not really the type to enjoy being on the foreground just because of his face.

It hits him, that when you’re looking at Ong Seongwoo, everything else melts into the background. He has you captive and you won’t even try to escape because being looked back at by Ong Seongwoo would mean that he sees you too, beyond everything else.

The man on the other side smiles at him and for the last time that night, Daniel is terrified--terrified that he won’t be able to let go of calling Ong Seongwoo by his full name, terrified that he won’t be able to repress his laughter when he jokes, and terrified that he’d enjoy the attention and that he’ll indulge himself in everything he’s tried to rid himself off with.

He takes his beer and drinks from it again. Jihoon settles beside him after putting Max down; and he tells him just what he had in mind.

“Maybe it’s time for Daniel to do love?”

Daniel smiles at him. _Maybe it is._

**Author's Note:**

> I think this fic has potential so if you want to continue it (or maybe give me some inspiration for a sequel) you can find me here:  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/charmandu27)  
> [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/charmandu)
> 
> If you happen to ship MinHwan (even in the slightest) please give my other fics a try. :)


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